


The Storm

by lostinthegoldenpines



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Confession, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Springdove, snufmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-10 19:10:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20856809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinthegoldenpines/pseuds/lostinthegoldenpines
Summary: Moomin and Snufkin were the only ones on the island, which was perfectly alright with both of them





	The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> This was the first snufmin fic I ever wrote, so it's probably a bit rough around the edges, but I hope you all enjoy!

Moomin and Snufkin were the only ones on the island, which was perfectly alright with both of them; they had planned it that way, actually. It would be so much easier and simpler to go adventuring without the hassle of Little My and Sniff arguing and Snorkmaiden constantly stopping to pick up shells. Not that Moomin hadn’t already torn apart the beach earlier looking for shells, but it was far more efficient when he did it he felt. A storm had began earlier on in the approaching evening, purplish white lighting snaking across plumes of gray and ash colored clouds. They had set up their little tent inside the mouth of a massive and large cave. This way Snufkin could enjoy the wind of the storm and smells, without Moomin having to get wet. They had stuffed themselves on potato and clam stew and soft rolls of bread Moominmama snuck into their food back, sharp and tender cheese added alone with it. Snufkin had pulled out his harmonica and played to the beat of the thunder rumbling outside while Moomin tried his paw at making hot chocolate. The fire softly glowed against the obsidian cave walls, a warm orange glow that Snufkin felt inside his very soul as it lulled him to sleep.

Snufkin woke up slumped over, harmonica on his lap, back up against the log they had rolled inside the much darker cave, the fire having died out. Stretching until his back popped, he drowsily looked about, hardly registering that the warm lump next to him was Moomin snuggled up, Snufkin’s hat in his lap. Yawning, Moomin stirred and shifted next to Snufkin. Snufkin reached for his hat and turned his face towards Moomin.

“Hey Moomin, are y—”

Snufkin felt a jolt remarkably similar to electricity fill up his entire being. It started from his lips and traveled down his spine then zigzagged throughout his guts and right into his heart. He had to blink a few times. It must have only been a second or so but it felt like an eternity. Moomin squeaked in horror and flung himself away from Snufkin.

“I’m so sorry—I didn’t realize, I-I-I didn’t think you’d—um!” Moomin stammered before he quickly stood up and tripped his way towards the tent flaps. “I need to go drown myself immediately.”

Snufkin looked after Moomin, totally bewildered. He found himself pressing his fingers to his lips. Oh. Oh. So that’s what it had been. Face flushing a bright red, Snufkin felt a bit drunk, struggling to crawl towards the tent, utterly dazed. Before he reached it, Moomin popped out of the tent, a rope wrapped around his waist. Moomin briskly stumbled about the cave until he had chosen a suitable rock, and began tying the other end of the rope around it.

“Moomin, what are you doing?” Snufkin asked gently. He was genuinely surprised when Moomin turned to him, his giant blue eyes overflowing with tears. Moomin continued on with his work, wrapping the other end of the rope around a large rock.

“I’m off to drown myself, but I’m such a great swimmer, I figured I need an anchor to weigh me down to the bottom of the ocean.”

“Ah. Was that accidental kiss so very terrible for you?” Somehow the idea of Moomin being that offended by the kiss upset Snufkin. The sarcasm rolled off his tongue like honey.

“No! It was the loveliest kiss of my life!” Moomin snapped. He paused to wipe away the tears again. “And it, it wasn’t an accident! I had meant to kiss you, but just on your forehead. I thought you were asleep.” Moomin than sat on top of the very rock he had tethered himself to, slumped over, his paws covering his eyes. “Now you must hate me. And the very thought—the very thought of you hating me makes me so horribly sad, I’d rather drown and die than face it!”

Well, this is rather heart breaking. Snufkin’s fingers curled around the fabric around his chest. He knelt down in front of his dear friend, putting his hand upon Moomin’s shoulder.

“Why don’t we go near the fire?”

“No! I’m determined to drown.”

“I’ll just rescue you if you do.” Snufkin chuckled. “Please? Please come sit by the fire. I’ll rekindle it.”

Snufkin took out his pocket knife and cut the rope away from Moomin’s soft belly and gently led him to the fire. Moomin was still fighting with tears; no matter how many he wiped away, more would replace them.

“First of all, I could never, never hate you.” Snufkin mused as he went to work stoking the fire. His hands trembled as he spoke and his lips remembered the kiss. He dropped the kindle, hoping Moomin didn’t see him shaking so. “You’re the dearest person to me; nothing you could do would make me hate you. Unless you became a park keeper and put up fences around a lovely forest; then we would have words, you and I.”

Moomin looked surprised and chuckled as he wiped away at his eyes. The chuckle sounded congested and almost forced, but it was a victory just the same.

“But a kiss? I could not be angry about that. I’m wondering why you kissed me though.” Snufkin’s heart was pounding. He paused to make sure Moomin couldn’t hear his hammering heart. He glanced over, watching. Moomin looked a bit red in the face.

“I, uhm, well, this is so embarrassing and awkward.” Moomin was absently playing with the tuft on his tail. “When we camp…and I leave the tent to get a drink or answer nature’s call, I’ve always, um, kissed you on the forehead.”

Snufkin dropped the cooking pot he had been moving out of the way of the new fire kindle.

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know.” Moonmins’ ears drooped, the tears starting afresh. “See? I’ve totally invaded your privacy and personal boundary. I’m so sorry Snufkin. I don’t know why, it just, you’ve always seemed so peaceful asleep and content with the world, and one day when we were young, I just found myself kissing your forehead and it soon became a habit of mine. I don’t suppose I even think about it now. I’m sorry. I’m a terrible friend.”

Snufkin sat down, the fire forgotten.

“What did the kiss feel like to you, Moomin?” He finally asked after some time. “You said it was the loveliest you ever had.”

“Warm and comforting, like curling up to a fire with a warm blanket, a plate of cookies, and an adventurous book. It felt like home of sorts.” Moomin mumbled through his tears. They dripped down his face, leaving tiny wet spots on the stone floor. Snufkin watched them, a low rumbling stirring outside of the cave. Rain pattered down on the surrounding forest, drops leaking down from the cavern roof here and there, splatting the ground with a soft sound or into pools of water. They echoed around the cave while thunder hummed outside.

“I’m so sorry.” Moomin whispered above the sound.

“A storm.”

“What?”

“It felt like a storm to me,” Snufkin looked up. He knew his face was red. He couldn’t quite make eye contact with Moomin. Moomin’s eyes were too blue for him right now. “Or, to be more accurate, I actually thought I was being electrocuted by hattifatners.”

“What?” Moomin looked incredulous. He was grinning despite himself. “Did you truly?”

“Yes. It shot from my mouth down into my guts and made my belly flop, and I thought ‘this is how the park keeper felt’.” The grin spread from Moomin to Snufkin and soon both were giggling, the cave air not seeming so chilly any more.

“Are you mad that I’ve been kissing you on the forehead for years?”

“I’m more surprised I didn’t wake up at all.” Snufkin chuckled his response, the giggling fit still tickling his ribcage.

“Um.You actually did wake up once. You told me how nice it was and you wanted me to continue it.”

Snufkin wanted the ground to open and swallow him whole. His face was red now, so very, very red. He suddenly remembered the fire. Striking the match, he tossed it in and watched the spark nibbling at the kindling.

“Are we still friends, Snufkin?”

“What? Why do you keep asking?” Snufkin couldn’t help but feel exasperated at this point. 

“I want to be friends, but I also want to kiss you like we did.”

“Accidentally in the middle of the night on the way to get a cup of water?”

“On purpose!” Moomin exclaimed.

“Oh my. Oh my oh my oh my.” Snufkin muttered to himself, grabbing hat and placing it over his face. “I’m still very much myself, y’know. I need to go away every winter and come back every spring.” These emotions were too much.

“Of course, I would never change that about you.” Moomin replied earnestly. “You’d still live in your tent and go fishing every day, and we’d go on adventures with the others or by ourselves every now and then.”

“And? The kissing?”

“Only if you ever wanted. If you don’t want it, we’ll never do it again. I’ll never touch you again.”

The idea of being without Moomin’s touch—the slight brushing of their shoulders as they traveled on a path or when he would take a nap against Moomin’s soft form, or when Moomin would cling to him during the scarier parts of their adventures—nearly broke Snufkin down to tears.

Snufkin’s words felt muddled and stuck together, as if he had swallowed pure molasses. His thoughts felt like they were in a maze and he wasn’t sure how to get out of it.

“Three.”

“Three? What?”

Snufkin felt mortified. “I’m so sorry. In my mind I was already speaking, already giving you my thoughts and ideas…it just didn’t leave my mouth.” Lies. He hadn’t even figured out his own thoughts.

Moomin burst out laughing, slapping his knee. Snufkin had half a mind to throw a clump of wet sand at Moomin.

“I’ve never seen you so flustered before, Snufkin! You’re positively pink!”

“You’re lucky my soul hasn’t just ascended from my body already my friend.” Snufkin snapped back, his words lacking any venom. Moomin was giggling.

“Kiss me three times, Moomin. By the third one, I should know if I like them or not.”

Snufkin couldn’t even feel any satisfaction in seeing Moomin look as red as he himself felt. Moomin was by Snufkin’s side rather quickly. They sat side by side for a moment in agonizing silence. Moomin gently took Snufkin’s hand in his paw.

“No. Snufkin, you shouldn’t force yourself into doing anything you don’t want to.”

“I absolutely want to try this.”

“I don’t think you really do.” Moomin turned to face Snufkin. Snufkin could almost feel the heat radiating off of Moomin’s beautifully large nose. “See? You’re shaking.”

“Let me try it, then.” Snufkin moved forward, but his nose bumped into Moomin’s instead. “Ah. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“For a moomin, that counts as kiss one.”

“I want a do over.”

“Nope, it counts.”

“It absolutely does not.” Snufkin harrumphed. Moomin wrapped his arms around Snufkin’s back and brought him closer. Snufkin’s heart felt like it would lodge up in his throat.

“Adjust your chin a bit, pull it in.” Moomin instructed. Snufkin felt between protesting the instructions and just absolutely dying in Moomin’s arms. Moomin’s right paw was gently wrapped behind Snufkin’s head, gently playing with the tufts of Snufkin’s hair. The kiss was soft; like touching rose petals. It was brief but pleasant, like their greetings in spring. Moomin pulled back before Snufkin was ready, and he found himself pursing Moonmin’s mouth now. The second kiss was a bit longer. It felt like warm summer nights and star gazing—Snufkin was certainly seeing stars at this point, and his spine was absolutely tingling, his face beet red and his stomach belly flopping. They took a longer moment in-between the kiss, giving both time to catch their breath. Snufkin’s were deep, trying to calmly fill his lungs. Moomin, however, sounded like he desperately trying to catch air. The third kiss nearly killed Snufkin. In this kiss, he could feel all of Moomin’s longing; all the pining, all the loneliness that winter brought and the desperate hope for spring. So much hope. He felt like he was going to be devoured by Moomin’s emotions. Snufkin began to panic, he didn’t know what to do or to say to stop the kiss as it turned deeper, Moomin’s lips tugging gently at Snufkin’s, even a light nibble. Snufkin suddenly realized just how out of his league he was in this entire situation.

“Time out please, time out.” He finally pleaded, whispering against Moomin’s mouth. His fingers curled around Moomin’s side, desperately tickling. Moomin pulled back rapidly.

“Are you okay?” He tried very hard to sound serious and concerned, but he still giggled, Snufkin’s fingers still wiggling against Moomin’s soft belly and ribcage.

Snufkin turned leaned against Moomin, relaxing against his form, body taunt with sensations that he didn’t even understand, emotions filling him up to burst.

“Moomin I feel utterly destroyed, I don’t know what to do.” Snufkin replied weakly.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Do you want some water?”

“I suppose it’s like a dance, isn’t it? A dance, where partners must be perfectly in sync with each other, and if they aren’t—well then—” Snufkin realized he was babbling and stopped. He had never been at such a loss for words before.

“Snufkin, I want to, um, dance with you, for the rest of my life.” Moomin tried to piece his sentence together in a way that made sense. “But, if in that dance, you’d rather not dance at all and just sit near the buffet table eating the food, I’d be totally fine with that. Or if you just want to sit outside in your tent, listening to the dance music while we are looking up a the moon and stars, that’s fine too. Or if you need to just go fishing all by yourself, that’s more than okay.”

Snufkin had placed his head on Moomin’s chest. Moomin’s heartbeat seemed steady as he spoke, though it sped up whenever Snufkin began to stroke the fur on Moomin’s sides.

“I suppose being destroyed every now and then wouldn’t be so terrible.” Snufkin muttered into Moomin’s chest. “Might be an enjoyable adventure in it’s own right.” He had enjoyed the kisses he found after all, despite the panic near the end.

Moomin’s heartbeat sped up rapidly but his voice sounded steady, as Moomin patted Snufkin on the head.

“Right. Right. Okay then. Yes good. That suits me just fine. Shall we sit here by the fire then?” Moomin sounded calm, but behind him his tail was wagging rapidly.

Snufkin chuckled and stayed right where he was.

“Fine with me.” Snufkin closed his eyes. “Oh did I tell you that there is probably some sort of gem here? I think it’s called the ‘Princes Sapphire’.’’

“What? On this island? Really?”

“We’ll have to go search for it tomorrow.” Snufkin muttered, struggling to keep his eyes opened. He went to say something else, but the words dried on his lips and the coziness of being in Moomin’s arms and the crackling of the fire began to lull him asleep. He felt lips being pressed against his head and he made a sound of contentment before slipping off to sleep.


End file.
